The Junction

Friday 27 January 2023

A Note From Ms Davies

Is the best and worst part of parenting the ability to say “no”? 

This week has been a wonderful opportunity for celebrating student success for Jebel Ali Sixth Form, at our GCSE Certificate Celebration Ceremony. It has also, been for us, a week when we say “no’ to many students, from FS all the way to Sixth Form. This may range from the “no, you can’t write about that poem in your coursework because..” to “no, I don’t think you should be running down the corridor.” Every week in school, we have to make quick decisions based on the wellbeing of our students and our desire to help them fulfil their responsibilities as part of a wider community. Part of that educational process is the necessity of the “no”.

Modern parenting and education has developed significantly in this century, some would say, in the modern era. Since Rousseau’s explorations of ideas of freedom, and Enlightenment ideals of the individual's progress in society, modern thinking increasingly places children, rightly, at the centre of their upbringing. In the  21st Century,  research and ideology supports a child centred focus on many aspects of childhood and adolescence, from sleeping habits, eating and discipline, to the ability to make decisions about future careers and aspiration.

Coupled with this modern ideology, comes access to increasing amounts of easily accessible information, via social media and the internet. Opportunities abound for children and young people to play games, read the news, scroll through social media platforms and engage with video content through tiktok and YouTube channels.

This is where the intersection of parenting, education and childhood becomes essential. In our capability, as parents, or responsible adults in children’s lives to say “no”. As parents, and as educators, we care passionately about our children. We want them to lead happy fulfilled lives, we want them to be able to face challenges and we also want to do the best we can to open up every door.

We also need to be able to say “no”. As adults, it is our responsibility to recognise dangers inherent in any given situation; from protecting our children from the hot stove or the boiling kettle, to educating them about the dangers of social media. There is also an inherent reality that, much as we want our children’s lives to be golden and sun soaked and happy, we also have a responsibility to prepare them for lives where they will have to traverse the obstacles they face. In life, we have to do things we dislike, whether it’s going to the dentist or having to go to work at an unreasonable hour every day. The difficult facts of life are that: you can’t be an accountant if you’re not great at maths, and you may want to be the next Hollywood sensation, or Premier League footballer or tiktok star, but it’s actually a very tiny minority of people who achieve these dreams. In the words of Mick Jagger, “we can’t always get what we want” , 

The question of “no” in the scenarios above seem simple and straightforward, but every parent will recognise that sometimes the ability to say “no” is nuanced and very very human. “No, we can’t eat ice cream every day for dinner, but yes we can today because you finished your GCSE examinations”

 “Yes you can play on your game because you’ve finished your homework, but no, you can’t play until 11 pm at night on a school night.” The subtleties of parenting, of educating our children, and the ability to say “no” become one of the most difficult and nuanced paths we travel. 

As educators, it is essential that we prepare our future generation with the critical thinking skills to enable them to question the swathes of information bombarded to them every day through their phones. In a civil society, we also recognise some absolutes which are irrevocably tied to the moral rights which benefit us all. Parenting and educating involve profoundly difficult conversations that we negotiate every day with careful and clever young humans who are shaping their knowledge of the world. It is a moral imperative that the ability to say “no” is as important as opening any doors to improve our children’s future as we prepare them for a life which will be full of barriers they need to negotiate, in order to find contentment. As for our Sixth Form students - that means that it's still a “no” to wearing jeans, hoodies and trainers, as they’re not part of the Jebel Ali Sixth Form “business attire” uniform.

Ms Sian Davies

Assistant Headteacher - Sixth Form

Secondary Production

Oliver! 2023 - Week 15 in Rehearsals 

52 DAYS TO GO and we have almost finished choreographing all of the ensemble numbers in the show, with only two more to complete! Not only this, but our soloists are starting to join our superb Production Band, and the Production Crew are ready to get their hands dirty with some props and set preparation. 

Additional Rehearsals

All Cast, Crew & Band members will be needed all day on the following:

Friday 10th March - Crew Only till 4pm*

Thursday 16th March (till 3.30pm)

Friday 17th March (till 4.30pm*)

Monday 20th March (DRESS REHEARSAL)

Please try to avoid booking appointments during the school day on these dates.

*Students attending Friday Prayer are able to leave but please notify us in advance. 

Weekend Rehearsal dates:

Saturday 11th March - Band only

Sunday 12th March - All Cast and Crew 

Sunday 19th March. - All Cast, Crew and Band (TECH/DRESS REHEARSAL)

*All weekend rehearsals will take place between 9.30am-4pm. Production T-shirts will need to be worn for ALL of the above dates. Students will need to bring a packed lunch, snacks and plenty of water. They will not be allowed off-site. 

Attendance on the above dates is of high importance. If there is a reason as to why a cast/crew/band member is unable to make any of the above, please notify us as soon as possible via  schoolproduction@jebelalischool.org 

Cast List

Director - Ms. R Channon

Musical Director - Mr. A Laird

Assissant Director - Miss. K Hansford

Choreographer - Mr. S Sonsin

Stage Manager - Yasmina Habib (Year 11)

If you need to contact any of the Production Team please do so via schoolproduction@jebelalischool.org

Secondary Production Google Classroom: Aztar5o (students only)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOAN7c63VxWtrfERmudXEBtof80VIm_xHh6r0RgJHE_mQdbw/viewformRehearsal schedule is updated on GC every Friday afternoon for the following week. Please check this weekly to see when you are needed in rehearsal.

CAST Rehearsal Times

Monday 12.50pm-13.15pm

Wednesday 3.30pm-5.00pm

Thursday 06.50am-7.20am

Arabic

Arabic A students enjoy reading stories in the library and try to discover the moral of the story and then show their stories to their classmates.

Living in the Online World

Helpful Hints

7 Traits Associated with Integrity 

by Shonna Waters, PhD

Integrity may seem like a vague concept. If we want to encourage integrity and live it out for ourselves, we might need a more concrete definition. One of the best ways to understand this concept is to look at the traits associated with integrity

Here are the 7 most common traits that a person with integrity shows: 

• Expressing gratitude for others

• Valuing honesty and openness 

• Taking responsibility and accountability for our actions, good and bad

• Respecting ourselves and others around us no matter where you are

• Demonstrating reliability and trustworthiness 

• Showing patience and flexibility, even when unexpected obstacles show up

1. Expresses gratitude for others. People with integrity recognize that their friends, coworkers, and community make their lives better. They show gratitude by always remembering to say a simple “thank you” when someone helps them out. They might also take the time to write a thoughtful note to a coworker or classmate who helped them complete an important project. Or, they may go the extra mile to give their friend a gift when they’ve supported them through a difficult time. 

2. Communicates honestly and openly. A person with integrity doesn’t run away from difficult conversations or situations. If they have a conflict with another person, they’re open about it — they don’t hide their feelings only to become resentful later on. They are also honest about their time, abilities, and preferences. No matter the situation, integrity ultimately means your moral principles are more important than your personal comfort — and honesty can be uncomfortable sometimes.

3. Takes responsibility for your actions, good and bad. If you have integrity, it means you’re accountable for your actions — even when you miss the mark. It’s easy to take ownership when you do something well. However, integrity really comes into play when you face failure. If you want to live with integrity and grow personally, you must learn to admit when you make a mistake and then choose to learn from it. 

4. Respects yourself and those around you, no matter where you are. You might not think of boundaries when you think of integrity. However, living in integrity means living at peace with yourself and your values — and relationship boundaries, whether it’s with your coworkers or your family, help you do that. For example, if your friend wants to call you while you are busy with homework, you need to set a boundary and call them later. 

5. Helps those in need without sacrificing your own health. This trait goes hand in hand with respecting yourself and others. People with integrity naturally want to help others — but what separates them from most people is their ability to know their own limits. A person with integrity will help others with their time, abilities, and even finances. But they’ll always also prioritize self-care, fueling themselves so that they can stay resilient for years to come. 

6. Demonstrates reliability and trustworthiness. Knowing how to build trust is important in all of life, especially when it comes to integrity at work. If you’re a member of a team, people count on you to do what you say you will. If you don’t, there will be consequences for not just you, but everyone around you. Being a reliable and trustworthy person is crucial to living with integrity. 

7. Shows patience and flexibility, even when unexpected obstacles show up. People with integrity overcome life’s obstacles with resilience. For example, let’s say they lost a match or did not get the grade they were expecting in an exam. They may feel hopeless or frustrated at first. However, a person with integrity would eventually see that this challenge is just another opportunity for growth. With a bit of patience and flexible expectations, they can take positive action.

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